Courses

Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 10 a.m. - noon

Tuesday October 7,
Tuesday October 14,
Tuesday October 21,
Tuesday October 28

$96 for members, $128 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for How Pathogens Cause Disease

If we learned anything from the COVID pandemic, it is how little most people know about how pathogens infect the human body. Healthcare professionals, who understood the behavior of microbes, were far less susceptible than the general population to the dizzying array of misinformation and bogus treatment ideas flooding the internet.  

As we age, we become more susceptible to infections that our immune systems used to shrug off. People with chronic diseases in particular become more susceptible to secondary invaders such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Respiratory infections are more common among those in care homes, in hospitals, or with chronic diseases such as diabetes and dementia. Bacterial sepsis is a leading cause of death in hospitalized elderly patients due to the combination of weakened immunity and chronic diseases.  

The course examines the ways each type of microbial pathogen spreads, grows, reproduces, infects, and inflicts damage. We stay safe by knowing the enemy and its weaknesses.  

No previous knowledge of medicine or biology is needed for the course. 

Instructor

Adam Moles

Dr. Adam Moles has taught medical microbiology for the last 15 years, at the University of Alaska and subsequently at Western Washington University.

Registration

This class is offered in-person

Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 10 a.m. - noon

Thursday October 9

$24 for members, $32 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for Whatcom Water Woes: What a Mess

Although Whatcom County is a long way from the desert southwest, we have similar water problems in the summer. Because of climate change, streamflows throughout the Nooksack River watershed have been declining for years and are doing so at an accelerating rate. Lower flows are bad for salmon and other wildlife and leave less water for human uses.  

In addition, the hotter, drier summers caused by climate change increase the need for irrigation – lawns and gardens, commercial landscaping, golf courses, and especially agriculture. These opposing trends in supply and demand will lead to a water crisis if we don’t act soon.  

Many options exist to increase supply, to store winter water for summer use, and to increase water-use efficiency. Our local Watershed Management Board has sponsored many studies of supply and storage options during the past two decades. But the Board has never even looked at efficiency options. And almost none of the options have been implemented.  

This one-session class discusses these problems, possible solutions, the reasons so little has been done to date, and the possible effects of the Nooksack adjudication of water rights. We discuss problems with state water law, lack of data, water rights that Lummi Nation and Nooksack Tribe hold, and the roles of different agencies in managing our increasingly limited water supplies. 

Instructor

Eric Hirst

Eric Hirst has been an environmental activist since he was an engineering graduate student at Stanford University in the mid-1960s. Most of his career as an energy policy analyst at Oak Ridge National Laboratory focused on energy efficiency.  

Eric moved to Bellingham 22 years ago. Since then, he served on three advisory committees for the City of Bellingham as well as on the boards of RE Sources and the Center for Environmental Law & Policy. He is now on the board of Salish Current newsletter. Eric has focused on local water issues for a decade, reading, analyzing, meeting people with different perspectives, and writing articles.

Registration

This class is offered in-person

Zoom, 10 a.m. - noon

Friday October 10

$24 for members, $32 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for The ABCs of Aluminum

With the advent of tariffs in 2025, more of us are wondering: just what is aluminum? How is it produced? What is it used for?

This course provides an introduction to the production and processing of aluminum and its place in the world's economy. How is it manufactured, what are the cost drivers, and who are the major players in the sector?

We examine the nuts and bolts, from mining to refining, from processing to recycling. We also touch on tariffs and other trends in the aluminum industry.  

We welcome a new instructor, Richard Oppelt, who joins us via Zoom from Prescott, Arizona. 

Instructor

Richard Oppelt

Richard Oppelt earned an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a BS in Materials Science and Engineering from Cornell University. He has enjoyed a 45-year career of diverse experiences, working as a consultant for Accenture and Arthur D. Little in the areas of performance improvement and strategy development for metals and mining companies.  

Prior to consulting he was Vice President of Business Development for American Combustion (a technology supplier to metals companies). Richard also served as Director of Corporate Production Planning, Sales Product Manager, Director of Strategic Planning, and Division Controller with National Steel. He has worked in 40 different countries.

Registration

This class is offered online

Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 1 - 3 p.m.

Tuesday October 14,
Tuesday October 21,
Tuesday October 28,
Tuesday November 4,
Tuesday November 11

$120 for members, $160 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for Pathways of Artistic Expression

Journey with us on the path of creative exploration as we study four different artists, their styles, subjects, and a variety of mediums.

This discovery of technique and the design process allows you to create your own compositions, both realistic and abstract, in the style of the featured artists: Picasso, Matisse, Monet, and Emily Carr.

Project-based, this course focuses on your choice each week of completing a still life, portrait, or landscape. An introduction to various mediums, elements of art, and principles of design help you discover and blaze your own artistic, expressive, creative trail!

Note: This class is limited to 24 students.

Materials needed:

• 8x10 or larger sketchbook
• #2 pencil
• white polymer eraser
• black Sharpie (fine point)
• glue stick
• scissors

For sessions 3, 4, and 5, there is a $3 fee for those choosing to use additional instructor-provided materials. Exact cash amount only, no change.

Instructor

Trisha Dawn Coggins

Trisha Dawn Coggins is an art educator, designer, sculptress, and photographer with a BFA from West Chester University, art teaching certification from the Moore College of Art and Design, and a master’s equivalency in fine arts from McDaniel College. She has designed, developed, and instructed classes throughout Whatcom County.

Registration

This class is offered in-person

Bellingham Cruise Terminal (small lecture room), 1 - 3 p.m.

Wednesday October 15,
Wednesday October 22

$48 for members, $64 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for The True Story of the 1692 Salem Witchcraft Trials

Have you ever wondered what really happened in the Province of Massachusetts Bay in 1692? Was witchcraft the real cause of the hysteria that gripped Salem Village? Join us as we discuss the conditions that led to the infamous trials. Meet the accused and their accusers, and enjoy a visual tour of some of the sites where settlers lived and important events took place. 

Instructor

Sylvia Willis

Sylvia Willis, a retired educator and former faculty member in WWU’s Woodring College of Education, has a passion for history and preservation. She currently helps to preserve and interpret the historical building collection at Pioneer Village in Ferndale, Washington. While previously living in New England, she became interested in its rich and varied history. She spent 16 years working and volunteering at the Orchard House Museum, home of author Louisa May Alcott in Concord, Massachusetts, whose own ancestor, Samuel Sewall, was one of the Salem trial judges.

Registration

This class is offered in-person

Bellingham Cruise Terminal (small lecture room), 10 a.m. - noon

Wednesday October 15,
Wednesday October 22,
Saturday October 25,
Wednesday October 29

$96 for members, $128 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for From Sheep to Shawl—Ever Wonder Where Wool Comes From?

Wool, the warmest fiber, is used to make all types of winter fabrics -- knitted, crocheted, or woven. This course explores the wool fiber process, beginning with animals like sheep, llama and alpaca, to wool fabrics that make the clothes we wear. We cover the entire journey of shearing, washing, and preparing raw wool fleeces and fibers, making yarns, and finally weaving fabrics.  

This 4-session course uses videos, study samples, a tour of a professional mill, and hands-on activities for you to experience weaving a mug rug or small pouch with your own yarn.

Session 1: Introduction and history of animal-based fibers from sheep, alpaca and llama, discussion, questions, and video of shearing sheep.

Session 2: A DIY day with demos and hands-on activities—making yarn with drop spindles, and weaving on small looms. We design and begin our weaving project.

Session 3: Tour of Skagit Woolen Works, a local processing mill in Mount Vernon. We meet at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal and carpool to the mill; expect this class to be approximately 2.5 hours including travel time. Optional lunch to follow.

Session 4: Finish our project and discuss the many ways woven fabric is used to make clothing, with special emphasis on the current fashion trend for tweed fabrics.

$5 materials fee (bring cash; no change provided).

Note: This course is limited to 15 students.

Instructor

Susan Torntore

Susan Torntore, Ph.D., is a textile historian, handweaver, and museum curator. She taught history of textiles and clothing, and their cultural perspectives, for more than 40 years. She’s authored several books and articles on clothing history and the use, meaning, and collecting of ethnographic textiles in a global context. She now teaches weaving and does textile history talks for international audiences. Her current research explores British tweed fabrics in mid-century American fashion, and she is learning to weave them to make contemporary garments. She recently returned from a research trip to Scotland and England where she visited tweed mills and museum textile archives.

Registration

This class is offered in-person

Zoom, 10 a.m. - noon

Friday October 17

$24 for members, $32 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for Time to Leave: A Look at Divorce in Late Adulthood

The phrase till death us do part still applies to the majority of marriages. But since 2010, the rate of couples divorcing in late adulthood (65+) has increased. Today, one out of four divorces nationwide is a gray divorce.

This course examines the rates of divorce among seniors, reasons for divorce (both individual and societal), the process of deciding to divorce, and recommendations for life post-divorce. This overview of the gray divorce phenomenon includes portions of interviews with individuals who have divorced, consideration of the stations of divorce (emotional, legal, economic, parental, community, psychic), and discussion among students about the costs and benefits of gray divorce. The session concludes with tips and recommendations for navigating this complex transition.

Laura joins us via Zoom from Denton, Texas. 

Instructor

Laura Overstreet

Laura Overstreet, Ph.D., is a sociologist who has been teaching courses in the areas of marriage and family at WWU since 2004. She is also a faculty member at the University of Maryland, where she teaches courses in gerontology and end-of-life issues. She is the author of Gaining Perspective, a lifespan psychology text. She has worked as a psychotherapist in in-patient and out-patient settings.

Registration

This class is offered online

Bellingham Cruise Terminal (small lecture room), 10 a.m. - noon

Thursday October 23,
Thursday October 30,
Thursday November 6,
Thursday November 13

$96 for members, $128 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for HerStory: Women Artists from 1946

We examine the art and lives of Western women artists following World War II until the present day. As the devastated cities of Europe struggled to rebuild in the aftermath of war, New York City became the leading center of avant-garde art. But despite the advances of women artists in the early twentieth century, the New York School of the 1940s and 50s was heavily dominated by male artists.  

The contributions of artists such as Helen Frankenthaler and Louise Nevelson were undervalued. Women then became actively involved in all the emerging art movements of the 1960s: Pop, Minimalism, Earth Art, and Fiber Art, but they remained marginalized. It was not until the Feminist Movement of the 1970s and 80s that women artists began to publicly protest their exclusion from the powerful institutions and prestigious galleries. Activists like Judy Chicago and Faith Ringgold fought for recognition for women and artists of color.  

The success of this activism is seen in the wide array of international women artists active in recent decades, including superstars such as Yayoi Kusama, Shirin Neshat, and Zaha Hadid, and rising stars like Wangechi Mutu.

Note: This class is limited to 25 students.

Instructor

Teresa Martinelli

Teresa Martinelli holds an MS degree in Art History from the University of California at Davis. She has been teaching for more than 30 years, including full-semester courses for credit and non-credit, and continuing-education classes. Her recent research has focused on reclaiming the place of women artists in the pantheon of art history.

Registration

This class is offered in-person

Bellingham Cruise Terminal (small lecture room), 1 - 3 p.m.

Thursday October 30

$24 for members, $32 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for "The Captain's a Woman!" A Tale of Historic Marine Achievements

Retired Master Mariner Deborah Dempsey illuminates the history of women mariners as she shares her experiences in the merchant marine and in her recreational endeavors at sea. Using stories, photos, and memorabilia, she provides historic context for a 50-year career that includes a gender barrier-breaking string of accomplishments:

• First woman to graduate from a maritime or any service academy (Maine Maritime Academy).
• First woman to command a cargo ship on international waters.
• First woman to be licensed as master mariner in America.
• The only woman among nine ship captains to earn the U.S. Navy's Meritorious
• Public Service Award during the Persian Gulf War.
• The only woman to serve as a Columbia River Bar Pilot, guiding ships across the notoriously dangerous river bar.

Following her presentation, Dempsey is joined by Bryan Rust, Executive Director of Bellingham's Community Boating Center, which Dempsey cofounded in 2006. They describe how the BCBC serves our community with educational programs and instruction on small-watercraft operation, access, safety, and marine stewardship.

As Dempsey relates her experiences and adventures, expect to be fascinated by this inspiring slice of American feminist history. 

Instructor

Captain Deborah Dempsey

Captain Deborah Dempsey's non-traditional career as a merchant mariner has been documented in film, books, and articles. Her many prestigious awards include a commendation from President Bill Clinton for rescuing a drifting 634-foot freighter carrying 387,000 gallons of oil that threatened to crash onto the Frying Pan Shoals off the coast of North Carolina in 1993. She was credited with saving the $22-million vessel while preventing an oil spill that could have devastated the North Carolina Coast. Her recreational endeavors include a turn in the yacht race around the world known as the Whitbread. Her passion for safe recreation on the water spurred her to help found CBC.

Registration

This class is offered in-person

Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 10 a.m. - noon

Tuesday November 4,
Tuesday November 11

$48 for members, $64 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for Investigating Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes is the most famous literary figure in the world. This course describes how he was created and his place in the history of detective fiction; the life and accomplishments of Arthur Conan Doyle and why he killed off the character; the real-life model for Holmes; media portrayals; and the world-wide groups of Sherlockian enthusiasts, including many who play The Grand Game of treating Holmes as an historical figure. And how the deerstalker cap became so emblematic of Holmes.  

Attendees are also introduced directly to the written Holmesian literature. For the first session, students are requested to read the iconic short stories, The Red-Headed League and The Speckled Band, which can be found online. Further reading is assigned for the second session.

Instructor

Daniel Polvere

Daniel M. Polvere is a retired Boston lawyer and a member of The Baker Street Irregulars, the world’s oldest Sherlockian society, admission to which is by invitation only. Dan has participated in many seminars and lectured to scion societies around the country on topics as diverse as Freemasonry, music, and Japanese martial arts as they relate to the Sherlockian Canon.  

Registration

This class is offered in-person

Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 1 - 3 p.m.

Wednesday November 5,
Wednesday November 12,
Wednesday November 19

$72 for members, $96 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for The Many Languages of Food

Food does so much more than nurture our bodies; it provides an amazingly rich and diverse symbolic resource for cultural expression. In this course, we conduct a tour across cultural time and space to explore the creative ways humans express and experience themselves through what they grow, share, and consume.  

We include a cross-cultural examination of the languages of food in five domains: social status, gender, sexuality, artistic expression, and collective identity.  

Ultimately, this course asks whether our human capacity to create profound meaning in the most basic of necessities can be employed to address the urgent problems of food inequalities and the looming threats of environmental degradation and climate change.

Instructor

John Barker

John Barker is Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Over the past four decades, he has studied and written about social and cultural change among Indigenous peoples in the South Pacific and British Columbia. His publications include Ancestral Lines: The Maisin of Papua New Guinea and the Fate of the Rainforest and At Home with the Bella Coola Indians: T.F. McIlwraith’s Field Letters, 1922-4. He taught several popular courses at UBC, especially the Anthropology of Food. This will be his first course for ALL.

Registration

This class is offered in-person

Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 10 a.m. - noon

Wednesday November 5,
Wednesday November 12

$48 for members, $64 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for The Science of Gender

We are taught that gender is all so simple, yet nothing could be further from the truth. The goal of this course is to better understand the complexities of gender, which helps the 2SLGBTQ+ community receive the respect, care, and dignity that they deserve.

In the first session, we explore the world of in utero development as it applies to the formation of sexual anatomy and our gender identity. You learn why gender identity is so critical and so interesting. This talk also prepares you for family members who come out to you. Know what to say!

In the second session, you learn all about gender-affirming care for children and adults. We separate fact from fiction, so that you gain an understanding of why this care is of critical importance. We have lots of time for questions and discussion.

Instructor

Linden G. Jordan

Linden G. Jordan, MA, JD, President of PFLAG Skagit, has had a career that included attorney, mental health counselor, and college professor. In his retirement, he works with PFLAG Skagit to support, educate about, and advocate for the 2SLGBTQ+ community, friends, and allies. He is part of the speakers bureau and has given over a hundred trainings locally and beyond for making the world a more welcoming place for the 2SLGBTQ+ community.  

PFLAG Skagit is a chapter of the national PFLAG organization, the largest non-profit working to support, advocate for, and educate about the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

Registration

This class is offered in-person

Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Thursday November 20

$36 for members, $48 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for Ancient Forests Worldwide, Young Pacific Northwest Landscapes

In this course we contrast our young Pacific Northwest landscapes to much older landscapes elsewhere in the world. We also consider how climate change may alter long-term ecological processes, reshaping the landscapes of the future. Finally, we explore how landscapes form and evolve over millennia and how these processes shape the ecosystems we see today.  

We live in a Pacific Northwest landscape where our mature forests may contain trees of immense size and considerable age, with some trees reaching ages of 500-1000 years old in pockets of remaining old-growth forest. Many people may not appreciate, however, that most of our northern landscapes are quite young relative to many other landscapes of the world, much of our region having been freed from continental glaciation ice only 16,000 years ago. The young ages of many of our northern landscapes have important consequences for plant community productivity and the essential nutrient cycles that sustain life. In particular, a few key species play outsized roles in shaping forest dynamics by influencing the availability of crucial nutrients.

While we start with the ancient forests of the Pacific Northwest, we consider research done in New Zealand and Hawaii to put our landscapes into context. Our discussion returns to the Pacific Northwest, where we examine how specific species contribute to forest productivity and how human management practices influence their roles.  

This course meets in the classroom for one hour, then departs for a four-hour field trip. This involves two hours travel time, and two hours visiting old and new forests in the Skagit Valley to look at the profound effect that additions of nutrients have on forest productivity and composition, and to contrast this with relatively unmodified young and old-growth forests. Dress for weather and wear comfortable outdoor shoes. Students are contacted by facilitator two to three days before the course to coordinate carpools.

NOTE: This course is limited 24 students.

Instructor

Ralph Riley

Riley, currently a Senior Instructor, College of the Environment, WWU, holds a bachelor’s degree in Forest Management from the University of Washington and a doctorate in Ecology from Stanford University. A former faculty member at the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji, Riley has extensive ecological research experience in North and South America and in the Pacific and old-growth forests.

Registration

This class is offered in-person

Zoom, 10 a.m. - noon

Friday November 21

$24 for members, $32 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for "Mission" Possible: Stories of Pacific Northwest Missionaries and Local Tribal Families

Travel back in time with us to the Oregon and Washington Territories of the 1820s to 1850s, a time of upheaval for the Native tribes as trading partners arrived from overseas, bringing new trade items but also disease and death.

Various Christian families joined the oncoming wagonloads of Americans spreading west. They created missions to spread Christianity to the Native population and to service the religious needs of the white and mixed-blood races moving into the area.  

Native tribes reacted differently to the presence of this new religion. We examine the interactions of some of these missionary families with the local tribal peoples, the oncoming wagonloads of Americans spreading west, and the multicultural yet British-dominated fur trading forts. Some families were viewed as healers and prophets. Others were massacred by tribal members. In one instance, tribal elders traveled to St. Louis to ask for Jesuit missionaries, whom they called "Black Robes," to provide an alternative solution to their lands being taken and families dying of disease.

This presentation includes the family stories of:

• The Methodist Lees of Salem/Willamette Valley
• The Presbyterian Whitmans and Spaldings of Walla Walla and the Clearwater Valley
• The Catholic brothers: Augustin-Magloire and Francois Norbert Blanchet of Fort Vancouver

We include geographical information for many Pacific Northwest missions including the incredible Cataldo Mission established by the Jesuits near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho (now the oldest building in the state). Other missions are merely memories with only informational plaques remaining.

Instructor

Bob Vinatieri

Bob Vinatieri has visited more than 60 countries on six continents via a wide variety of planes, boats, and trains. He has lectured at City Colleges of Chicago on both travel and geography. For the last few years, he has served as a Road Scholar host and lecturer on several of the Columbia and Snake River boats as well as online.  

Bob Vinatieri joins us from Portland via Zoom.

Registration

This class is offered online

Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Tuesday December 2,
Thursday December 4,
Tuesday December 9

$84 for members, $112 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for For the Casual Photographer: Holiday Creativity and Portraiture Using Your iPhone

Becoming familiar with the many tools for photography that come with your iPhone is great; now take your iPhone photography to the next level: holiday creativity and portraiture. In this comprehensive course, you learn how to improve your photos of your family and friends, whether for gifts or creating memories. Introducing you to free or inexpensive smartphone apps, we explore how they work and how to use them to photograph outdoor and indoor holiday objects, including techniques ranging from Intentional Camera Movement to long exposure photographs.  

We also learn how to create the best possible portraits and candid images as we celebrate the holidays with family and both our human and furry friends. Additionally, we learn how to incorporate and apply these tools to photos we have taken in the past (including those stored on your computer or smart tablet). This course uses a combination of lecture, hands-on exercises, and practical application of these apps to improve our photographic images. This course is specifically geared to the iPhone user.

NOTES:

• The first session lasts 3 hours, from 10 a.m.- 1 p.m.
• The second session of this course takes place in Fairhaven (specific time and location TBD), where we have fun and create trendy images of lights, trees, and seasonal decorations. All students must bring an iPhone and possess basic proficiency with its settings and functions. Class time focuses on photography.
• This course is limited to 15 students. 

Instructor

Carol Sheppard

Carol Sheppard is an award-winning and published local photographer with several images that have won first place and people’s choice awards. Proficient with DSLRs, mirrorless cameras, and smartphones, Carol’s work has been exhibited in multiple Pacific Northwest venues. She has been a guest speaker for camera clubs across the U.S., at Whatcom Community College, and at annual conferences for both the Northwest Council of Camera Clubs and the Photographic Society of America (PSA). Carol served four years as president of the Bellingham Photography Club and as managing editor of the monthly PSA Journal. She has been published in the Northwest Nature Photographers’ magazine, the PSA Journal, and PSA’s Travel Division Newsletter.

Registration

This class is offered in-person

Zoom, 10 a.m. - noon

Friday December 5,
Friday December 12

$48 for members, $64 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for Those Famous Furniture Makers and Their Fabulous Creations

Throughout history, furniture makers and decorative artists have often been relegated to a lesser status behind painters and sculptors, but furniture and decorative objects are important works of art in and of themselves. The creative processes employed by these imaginative artists conveyed not only their status and talents; the works of art they fashioned accorded prestige to the individuals for whom they were created. Beauty and opulence were keywords in these creations, as these pieces revealed the meticulous methods employed and sumptuous materials used.  

This course traces the growth of the furniture trade in Europe and America from the 17th century to modern times, focusing on the detailed methods of marquetry, gilding, lacquering, upholstery, mechanization, and other construction techniques. The lives of the artists and their patrons are also discussed in the context of the eras in which they lived.

Instructor

Eleanor Schrader

Eleanor Schrader is an award-winning educator, lecturer, and author. She lectures and leads tours worldwide on art and architectural history. She has been named a distinguished instructor at UCLA Extension, where she teaches history of architecture, interior design, and furniture and decorative arts. She is also a Professor Emeritus of Art and Architectural History at Santa Monica College. Eleanor has done graduate work in fine and decorative arts at Sotheby's Institute in London and New York. She has served as a design review commissioner for the City of Beverly Hills and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the John Lautner Foundation.

We welcome Eleanor back via Zoom from southern California.

Registration

This class is offered online

Zoom, 10 a.m. - noon

Wednesday December 10

$24 for members, $32 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for Tom Robbins and the Pacific Northwest in Literature

The late author Tom Robbins, a resident of nearby LaConner, was for a period in the 1980s the most famous novelist in the Pacific Northwest. We look at excerpts from some of his novels and how they are representative of several elements of what might be called the Pacific Northwest regional literary style: magical realism, characters from the fringes of society, influences of Eastern religion, and a sensibility that tied the physical landscape into the region's self-conception.  

These strands can be seen in authors as varied as Katherine Dunn, Sherman Alexie, and Ken Kesey, but they are also found in part in all kinds of Northwest novels dating back to the first literary appearance of the Pacific Northwest in "Gulliver's Travels."

Instructor

Ryan Teague Beckwith

Ryan Teague Beckwith is a journalist with MSNBC and adjunct professor at Georgetown University. He has a MS degree in journalism from Columbia University. A native of the Seattle area, he was with John C. Hughes the co-editor of "On the Harbor," a history of Grays Harbor County. He has previously worked at outlets as varied as TIME magazine, Bloomberg News, and CQ Roll Call. He currently covers national politics.

Ryan will be joining us via Zoom from Washington, D.C. 

Registration

This class is offered online

Zoom, 10 a.m. - noon

Thursday January 8,
Thursday January 15

$48 for members, $64 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for Impression Sunrise: Claude Monet and the Formation of Impressionism

In 1874, the Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors, Printmakers, etc. exhibited together for the first time, starting a revolution. The term "Impressionism" itself came into being from a critic's insult, which was sparked by a Claude Monet painting.  

Impressionism was initially controversial because it departed from traditional art techniques, using loose brushstrokes and new ways of depicting light. Later, the Society came to be known as the Impressionists.

Claude Monet is considered the leader and most well-loved of the Impressionists. This course focuses on his art and career, from a struggling artist to "master of water lilies," as he is known, for his collection of 250 oil paintings of the subject.

Instructor

Katherine E. Zoraster

Katherine E. Zoraster is an art historian and a Professor of Art History at several Los Angeles-area colleges, specializing in Western art from the Renaissance to the 20th century. She graduated with a double major in English Literature and Art History from the University of California, Los Angeles. She subsequently received a Master’s Degree with Distinction in Art History from the California State University at Northridge.

In addition to the courses Katherine teaches at various colleges and adult learning programs, she is also a member of the Art Muse team, giving private museum tours and teaching classes, and she serves as a commissioner for the Burbank Cultural Arts Commission. Outside of teaching, one of her favorite things to do is to travel while visiting as many art museums as possible.

We welcome back Katherine via Zoom from southern California. 

Registration

This class is offered online

Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 1 - 3 p.m.

Wednesday January 21,
Wednesday January 28,
Wednesday February 4,
Wednesday February 11

$96 for members, $128 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for The Unsung Heroes of the American Revolution

The American Revolution was an opportunity for a myriad of ordinary people to becomes heroes for this nascent country. While we revere the names of the few Founding Fathers we encountered in school, the Revolutionaries were far more numerous, and their contributions are not as widely known.  

Among the 20 figures to be highlighted are such luminaries as Sybil Ludington (one of the OTHER riders for "The Midnight Ride"), Judge Wilson (featured in JFK's "Profiles in Courage"), and various French aristocrats including Lafayette and the Howe siblings.  

What emerges from our four-week examination of glorious and surprising stories about the "other" Founding Fathers is a nuanced and in-depth look at the Revolution from numerous perspectives.  

We explore how the ideals that brought together our diverse nation of competing interests are needed now more than ever.  

Instructor

GregRobin Smith

GregRobin Smith has presented his solo Chautauqua performance on, and as, Benjamin Franklin for over 20 years. Seen at presidential inaugurations and libraries and museums, at fundraisers for churches, schools, and community groups, GregRobin is also a Shakespeare scholar and a union performer with the American Guild of Variety Artists. He has been contract teaching since 1973 on subjects as diverse as theatre arts, Shakespeare, poetry, medieval hands-on classes, Franklin, and hard-suit Medieval Melee Martial Arts.

Registration

This class is offered in-person

Zoom, 10 a.m. - noon

Friday January 23

$24 for members, $32 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for Chemical Evolution and the Birth of Pigments

Color has been an exciting and enjoyable part of human life ever since the color-sensitive eye evolved over a million years ago.

Even now all the world’s a staging area for the chemical and biological evolution and birth of pigments and dyes. However, seismic shifts about 3.7 and 2.3 billion years ago gave rise to the Great Oxygen Event that increased the number of minerals by about 3500, including hundreds of colored minerals that could become pigments. We discuss the elements and pigments whose compounds became the most important members of our pigment palette today. We also explore some of the millions of colorants produced by the (very late) biological evolution of life.

The junction between color and chemistry, and color and history, is of even more recent origin. The first recorded use of chemistry to manufacture a color is the stunning set of cave paintings found in the Grotte Chauvet in Southern France. Executed over 32,000 years ago, they are a testimony to early humans’ ability to create beauty and to engage in abstract thinking.

This history of color usage as a chemical endeavor from the earliest records to the present day focuses on four major areas: fashion, pharmaceuticals, food, and fun. It is a trajectory peppered with stories to help us understand the mystery of color as a universal experience and phenomenon which even changed the course of history in the 20th century.

Instructor

Mary Virginia Orna

Mary Virginia Orna, Ph.D., is Professor Emerita of Chemistry, College of New Rochelle, New York. Her academic specialties are in the areas of color chemistry and archaeological chemistry. She has authored numerous books in her field, including The Chemical History of Color, the basis for this talk.

She is also the recipient of numerous chemical education and service awards, the latest being the American Chemical Society 2021 Joseph B. Lambert HIST Award “for her original research in the area of color and pigment chemistry.” In 1989, she was designated the New York State Professor of the Year, and in 1994 she served as a Fulbright Fellow in Israel. Her hobby is constructing crossword puzzles; she has contributed many of these to the New York Times. She is a religious of the Ursulines of the Roman Union and a Fellow of the American Chemical Society.

Dr. Orna joins us via Zoom from Mount Vernon, New York. 

Registration

This class is offered online

Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 1 - 3 p.m.

Tuesday January 27,
Tuesday February 3,
Tuesday February 10,
Tuesday February 17

$96 for members, $128 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: An Evidence-Based Workshop

Research on mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) training has consistently demonstrated positive outcomes associated with increased self-awareness, as well as attention and emotional regulation. There can also be a reduction in symptoms for various physical and behavioral health conditions including anxiety, depression, and chronic pain.

We will explore the tools this evidence-based program offers, including meditation, movement practices, and engaging in discussion with each other during the course. Mobilizing innate resources and experimenting with perception, patterns, communication styles and more, we will employ strategies to address and decrease stress, noticing the effects of various options, gaining familiarity with neuroplasticity, appreciation, and what we take in.

Audio and video recording links for home practice between sessions will be offered. Handouts will be provided for our onsite and at-home experiences. Please wear layers of clothing, as each session will have movement and stillness practices. Bring a small pillow and a light blanket or towel to sit on. Yoga mats are welcome if you have one. Students are welcome to sit on chairs instead of the floor during any mindfulness or movement exercises.

Please join us and explore how mindfulness may support you in living life more fully, with greater peace, ease, and joy.

Note: This course is limited to 20 students.

Instructor

Lori Lindgren

Lori Kristina Lindgren is a Qualified MBSR Teacher (Level 2 - Brown University) and professional Activities Director with a B.A. in communication / art from the University of Minnesota Duluth.

As a certified yoga and meditation teacher, she has created and/or taught wellness workshops and classes in the U.S., Cuba, Nicaragua and Cambodia. She taught "Befriending the Seat" at the Global Conference on Buddhism in Berkeley and provided yoga training for the U.S. Men's Olympic rowing team in Oakland. She has co-taught MBSR to medical professionals at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, as well as delivered wellness and wellbeing workshops for nonprofits aiding the underserved, at-risk kids, and adult trauma survivors.

She continues to teach movement practices to athletes, teams, medical office professionals, and to seniors for healthy aging.

Registration

This class is offered in-person

Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 10 a.m. - noon

Tuesday February 3,
Tuesday February 10

$48 for members, $64 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Identifying the sources of greenhouse gas emissions is the first step toward implementing solutions in the fight against global warming. The issue is complex. Collective action on many fronts is needed based on a solid understanding of pros and cons for each approach. Policies are driven by public demand. This course describes emission sources and actions that can be taken by individuals, communities, utilities, and local and national governments.

Topics include emissions from:

• Electrical power generation from fossil fuels, renewable sources, and nuclear fission and fusion.
• Transportation sector fuels including gasoline, jet fuel, diesel, biofuels, hydrogen, and hybrid and electric vehicles.
• Industrial processes such as manufacturing and generation of concrete, steel, and aluminum.
• Agricultural activities, including livestock and rice cultivation.
• Commercial and residential heating and cooling.

Instructor

Charles Brown

Charles Brown, PE, is a retired chemical engineer. His teaching experience includes presenting seminars, lectures, and courses primarily about air pollution. His career included air pollution control and regulations (Radian, VECO), petroleum refining (BP, VECO), aluminum production (Kaiser), and nuclear power support systems (General Atomic). Degrees include BS, Chemical Engineering, Washington State University, 1973; MS, Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, 1982).

Registration

This class is offered in-person

Zoom, 10 a.m. - noon

Thursday February 5,
Thursday February 12,
Thursday February 19,
Thursday February 26

$96 for members, $128 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for Social and Criminal Justice: Interpretations

What is justice, and what does it look like in the real world? What should it look like? In this series, we examine the many interpretations of both social and criminal justice that have been suggested throughout history and evaluate proposals for change within American society.  

Topics include  

• theories of justice,  
• the affirmative action debate,  
• the capital punishment debate,  
• wrongful convictions, and  
• police ethics.  

David brings both philosophical and experiential perspectives as an academic and a former urban law enforcement officer. Join us!

Instructor

Dr. David E. Smith

Dr. David E. Smith grew up in the world of fundamentalist religion. As an adult he gradually moved away from that worldview and became a religious progressive/skeptic. After earning an M.A. in philosophy of religion, he received a second M.A. and a Ph.D. in religious studies from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. Formerly a full-time philosophy and religious studies faculty member at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, WA, he now teaches for the National Osher Resource Center and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Washington, and offers independent seminars and personal consultations in comparative religion and philosophy. He has published widely in these areas, as well. His mission is to empower people to think well for themselves about things that matter.

We welcome back David via Zoom from Lynnwood. 

Registration

This class is offered online

Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 2 - 4 p.m.

Monday February 16

$24 for members, $32 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for Social Media Overview: The Myriad Ways We Connect in the Digital Age

If you're curious about social media in general, but not necessarily a subscriber, this course is for you! We introduce most of the social media platforms that have been launched since Myspace, which was the first social network to reach a global audience.  

The format, background, purpose, ownership, algorithms, and pros and cons of Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter), Bluesky, Reddit, Snapchat, and Tumblr are all on the docket. We start with a participant-generated list of impressions and questions. Then we summarize what each platform offers, and how they differ from each other. 

Instructor

Sage Wilkirk

Sage (they/them) is a tech-savvy educator who has been teaching others to use technology since 2012, from adopting systems to learning specific technology. They have experience with social media as early as Myspace and have been an adopter of most social media ever since, from Facebook in college, Instagram for their art business, Tumblr right out of college for tarot, TikTok for technology, Reddit communities for specific connections, and Bluesky today. They have been a student of social media technology for over two decades.

Registration

This class is offered in-person

Bellingham Cruise Terminal (dome room), 10 a.m. - noon

Tuesday February 17

$24 for members, $32 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for Do Structural Materials Fail Because They Get Tired/Fatigued?

"Metal fatigue" is a term you may have heard of in the context of structural failures across a spectrum of industries. For example, the first commercial jetliner, the de Havilland Comet, experienced several crashes due to metal fatigue. Just last year, Boeing’s new 777X’s flight tests had to be paused due to finding fatigue damage in the engine struts.

Have you wondered what metal fatigue means? How do materials get "tired" or "fatigued"?

In this class we delve into the following aspects:

• What is metal fatigue? How does one determine that a material has failed due to fatigue?
• Mechanical/thermal/environmental drivers of fatigue.
• Do materials other than metals experience fatigue?
• How does one design against fatigue?

Instructor

David Wu

David Wu has a B.A.Sc. in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of British Columbia. He earned an M.A.Sc. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toronto. David also holds an M.B.A. from Arizona State University and has more than 30 years of professional/executive experience in the aerospace industry. He comes to ALL most recently as an adjunct lecturer at the University of Iowa.

Registration

This class is offered in-person

Zoom, Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 1 - 3 p.m.

Monday March 2,
Friday March 6,
Wednesday March 11,
Thursday March 12

$96 for members, $128 for non-members

Description

Learn about the origins and early recorded history of blues music, a traditional form of expression rooted in Black American culture, with musician and social-justice advocate Joe Seamons. Hear early recordings, explore documentation of the work songs, "jump ups," and spirituals that preceded blues, while celebrating and contemplating the ongoing influence of this living tradition throughout American culture.

Over four sessions, students discover how blues music was originally popularized through female-identified singers and learn the context of how blues music grew out of a complex and beautiful blend of ragtime, gospel, work song, toasts, and creole music from the American South. By highlighting the functions of the music—used for everything from dance, protest, self-expression, and lamentation to humor and subversion action—this course delves into the significance of the stories and lives of a few of the people who contributed to this powerful legacy of Black American creativity.  

This combination of virtual and in-person sessions give participants a well-rounded and interactive introduction to the richness and diversity of this living tradition while highlighting the role of music in bringing people together and calling out the ongoing injustice and systemic oppression that helped spawn blues music.  

Monday, March 2, 1-3 p.m. on Zoom
Friday, March 6, 1-3 p.m. on Zoom
Wednesday, March 11, 1-3 p.m., BCT
Thursday, March 12, 1-3 p.m., BCT

Instructor

Joe Seamons

Instructor Joe Seamons studied choir, poetry, and wind ensemble at Lewis and Clark College. He is the co-founder of The Rhapsody Project, a non-profit that celebrates heritage and builds community through music. Based in Seattle, Joe has performed acoustic blues and other roots music for over two decades while journeying everywhere from Mississippi and Louisiana to the Virginias. In his work as a teacher and non-profit leader, and in his creative partnerships, Joe has worked to establish cultural space and highlight the hidden and erased histories of the people and cultures that produced blues music. He is a father, husband, and lifelong Pacific Northwesterner who loves banjo and good wood.

Note: Joe joins us via Zoom from Seattle on March 2 and 6, and in person on March 11 and 12.

Registration

This class is offered online

Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 1 - 3 p.m.

Tuesday March 3,
Tuesday March 10,
Tuesday March 17

$72 for members, $96 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for Missionaries in Indigenous Worlds: Christian Origins in the South Pacific and Northwest Coast

Following in the wake of Captain Cook’s voyages, Christian missionaries were amongst the first Europeans to settle in Indigenous communities in the South Pacific and along the Pacific Northwest Coast. Conventional history has portrayed missionaries as agents of change, as alternatively bringers of 'civilization' or as destroyers of culture. Recent scholarship paints a more complex picture, one in which Indigenous peoples played an active role in resisting, adapting and changing the religious, cultural and material innovations brought to their shores by foreign evangelists.

In this course, we examine the clashes and dialogues between Indigenous peoples and Western missionaries over the past century and a half in the South Pacific Islands and among the First Peoples on the Northwest Coast. We begin with an historic overview examining missionary aims and methods, Indigenous responses and the reasons for the relatively rapid acceptance of the new religion across both regions.  

In the second lecture, we consider how missionaries were regarded by their fellow Westerners, their influence on colonial policies, and their role in the foundation of ethnological museums and the discipline of anthropology. The final lecture focuses on the legacy of the missionary period among the descendants of the early converts, from those addressing the lasting harms of abuses such as the Canadian residential schools to those developing forms of Christian worship and belief in tune with their own ancestral spiritualities.

Instructor

John Barker

John Barker is professor emeritus of anthropology at the University of British Columbia. Over the past four decades, he has studied and written about social and cultural change among Indigenous peoples in the South Pacific and British Columbia. His publications include Ancestral Lines: The Maisin of Papua New Guinea and the Fate of the Rainforest and At Home with the Bella Coola Indians: T.F. McIlwraith’s Field Letters, 1922-4. He taught several popular courses at UBC, especially the Anthropology of Food. This will be his second course for ALL.

Registration

This class is offered in-person

Bellingham Cruise Terminal (dome room), 10 a.m. - noon

Tuesday March 3,
Tuesday March 10,
Saturday March 14,
Tuesday March 24

$96 for members, $128 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for From Field to Fabric: Plant-Based Fibers Rooted in Style

Cotton, linen, and hemp are plant-based fibers that provide an amazing spectrum of fabrics for fashion and household textiles, from our socks to our dishtowels. They are especially prized and comfortable in warm weather conditions for their exceptional breathability, absorbency, flexibility, and softness.  

Categorized as cellulosic fibers, they are divided by the parts of their specific plants—cotton is a seed hair, while linen and hemp are "bast" fibers from plant stem cores. Natural and biodegradable, plant fibers are important to textile brands today that are working toward sourcing more sustainable materials.  

We look at how such fibers are grown and processed, how yarns are spun, and how these fabrics are created. This course uses videos, study samples, a visit to a local textile mill, and hands-on activities including weaving or knitting a small project.

Session 1: General introduction to properties, history, and types with a focus on cotton. Select individual small project type.

Session 2: Focus on linen and hemp; begin work on projects.

Session 3: Field trip to Spincycle Yarns (a mill in Bellingham) to observe and discuss the spinning and dyeing process. (Meet for refreshments and discussion; location as well as carpooling arrangements is clarified in session 2).  

Session 4: Discuss plant-based clothing and textiles with special emphasis on global trends and sustainability issues; project "show and tell."

Note: $5 materials fee (bring cash; no change provided). This course is limited to 30 students. 

Instructor

Susan Torntore

Susan Torntore, PhD, is a textile historian, museum curator, and handweaver. She has taught the history of textiles and clothing, and their cultural perspectives, for more than 40 years. She’s authored several books and articles on clothing history and the use, meaning, and collecting of ethnographic textiles in a global context. She now teaches weaving and does textile history talks for international audiences. Her current research explores British tweed fabrics in mid-century American fashion.

Registration

This class is offered in-person

Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship, 10 a.m. - noon

Wednesday March 4,
Wednesday March 11,
Wednesday March 18,
Wednesday March 25,
Wednesday April 1

$120 for members, $160 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for Five Plays by Aristophanes

In this course we read five of the eleven surviving comedies by Aristophanes (c. 450-385 B.C.), the most famous and successful writer of comedy during the "golden age" of ancient Athens: The Clouds, which attacks "sophistic" education through a caricature of Socrates; The Wasps, which satirizes the Athenian enthusiasm for jury-service; Lysistrata, in which the women of Athens and Sparta organize a sex-strike in order to force an end to the Peloponnesian War; Women at the Thesmophoria, in which the women of Athens seek to punish the playwright Euripides for portraying them in a negative light; and The Frogs, in which Dionysus, the patron god of the theater, journeys to the underworld and judges a contest between the shades of Aeschylus and Euripides.

The books to be used (both in the Penguin Classics series) are Lysistrata and Other Plays, tr. Alan Sommerstein (ISBN 0-140-44814-4) and Frogs and Other Plays (revised edition), tr. David Barrett and Shomit Dutta (ISBN 0-140-44969-3).

Instructor

Andrew Miller

Andrew Miller was a professor of classics at the University of Pittsburgh for 35 years. He is the author of From Delos to Delphi: A Literary Study of the Homeric Hymn to Apollo; Greek Lyric: An Anthology in Translation; and Pindar: The Odes. He taught extensively in lifelong learning programs at both the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie-Mellon University; this will be his 17th course for ALL.

Registration

This class is offered in-person

Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 10 a.m. - noon

Thursday March 5,
Thursday March 12,
Thursday March 19

$72 for members, $96 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for Tribal Museums of the Northwest

Since the 1990s, Indigenous groups have been developing museums to receive objects returned to them as a result of hard-won federal legislation. It is compelling to hear Indigenous people tell their stories in their own words—stories of people whose cultures were slated for extermination. Here in the Northwest, we have tribal museums around the Puget Sound, across Washington, and into Canada.  

In our exploration, we include some Canadian museums, with photos of exhibits and collections. An overview of colonial collecting practices helps us understand how thousands of objects were taken from tribes: artifacts that today are being returned to Indigenous people.

For students who enjoy road trips, a list of museums is provided, so you can visit clusters of museums in different parts of our region, including the tip of the Olympic Peninsula, or an hour south, just off Interstate 5. 

Instructor

Kathy Kuba

Kathy Kuba has been an educator all her life and an anthropologist for the last 25 years. She holds a BA in education from the University of Missouri and an MA in anthropology/museology from the University of Washington. For several decades, she worked in natural history museums, creating programs and exhibits on cultural and scientific topics. Until 2020 she taught Introduction to Cultural Anthropology at WWU.

Note: Kathy joins us in person as well as via Zoom. 

Registration

This class is offered both online and in-person

Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 1 - 3 p.m.

Wednesday March 18,
Wednesday March 25

$48 for members, $64 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for The Art and Lives of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo

In the decades after the end of Mexican Revolution in 1920, Diego Rivera and other artists were part of a movement directed by the Ministry of Education to celebrate the Mexican people’s potential to determine their own history. The resulting art project was to celebrate and promote universal health care, public education, and expanded civil liberties through the creation of murals on significant public buildings. Not only did the resulting work help to educate the masses, but it produced a distinctive Mexican style and identity.  

We also look at the work of Frida Kahlo, third wife of Rivera, who shared a similar political ideology but produced very different, intensely personal art. While Rivera’s work often focused on attacking the ruling class, the church, and capitalism, Kahlo’s work was an outlet for her pain and suffering caused by a terrible accident. She oftentimes focused on indigenous culture, feminism, and her own personal pain.

Instructor

Patricia Leach

Patricia Leach was a museum professional at the director level for more than 40 years before retiring after just short of 18 years as the executive director of the Whatcom Museum. She was previously the executive director for several central and northern California museums and was the founding director of the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas, Calif. She also served as CEO of The Hermitage, Home of President Andrew Jackson in Nashville, Tenn. In addition to museum administration, Patricia has curated numerous history and art exhibitions that have included California art, both historical and contemporary, and Latin art. She holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of California at Davis and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Notre Dame du Namur University in Belmont, Calif.

Registration

This class is offered in-person

Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 1 - 3 p.m.

Thursday March 19

$24 for members, $32 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for Wild Fermented Breads

This session offers a literal hands-on lesson about ancient breads fermented with wild microbes, including sourdough, salt rising, and gluten free. Salt rising bread is an Appalachian invention from the 1700's. You'll learn to knead bread and employ other tricks for a delicious flavor and excellent crust. Plan to share your bread stories and hear about the history of bread from around the world from a master baker and leading expert on salt rising bread.  

Tasting samples and recipes are provided, as well as a sourdough starter from 1890’s Cripple Creek, Colorado, mini loaves of sourdough to bake at home, mini loaves of salt rising bread, and a gluten free sourdough starter. 

Instructor

Genevieve Bardwel

Genevieve Bardwell lived in an Appalachian community where salt rising bread was invented 300 years ago. She spent decades extensively researching the history, lore, and science of salt rising bread through archives, bakeries, and research labs around the world. Genevieve graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in New York, earned a MS degree in plant pathology, established Rising Creek Bakery, and has published two books: Salt Rising Bread: Recipes and Heartfelt Stories of a Nearly Forgotten Appalachian Tradition, and Mystery Bread of the Hollows. Currently she conducts research and teaches classes on yeast-free fermented breads. (https://sites.google.com/view/yeastfreemysterybreads)

Registration

This class is offered in-person

Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 1 - 3 p.m.

Tuesday March 24,
Tuesday March 31,
Tuesday April 7,
Tuesday April 14

$96 for members, $128 for non-members

Description

If you ever felt curious about communism and how it worked in the Soviet Union, this course helps you explore the truths and myths behind the system. From the onset of the regime in 1917 until its collapse in 1991, we discuss the core features of the Soviet system, the everyday life in the U.S.S.R., its (inevitable?) collapse, the tumultuous post-communist transition, and the consolidation of a personalist political regime under Vladimir Putin.  

We contemplate how the ideas of Marx and Engels, the two founding fathers of communist ideology, were transformed into an authoritarian one-party system shortly after the Bolsheviks came to power. After a brief retreat to capitalism in the early 1920s came the brutal era of Joseph Stalin followed by a milder regime of Nikita Khrushchev and Brezhnev’s stagnation. The 1980s brought a new era of Soviet politics with Mikhail Gorbachev, his reforms of Perestroika and Glasnost, and the eventual dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. The wild and painful 1990s were a period of radical experimentation in regime change, both economically and politically, leading to the more stable, paternalistic, and unapologetically arrogant reign of Vladimir Putin.  

Drawing on academic and non-academic work in history, politics, and the economics of the Soviet system, as well as the instructor’s personal experiences growing up during communism and her early adulthood in the 1990s post-communist era, we build a more nuanced understanding of the peculiarities of the Soviet and Russian regimes over the last 10 years.  

Instructor

Yuliya Tverdova

Dr. Yuliya Tverdova was born in Soviet Russia, where she lived until moving to the United States in the late 1990s to pursue graduate studies in politics and government policy. She holds an MA in public administration and a PhD in Political Science from SUNY Binghamton. After almost a decade of teaching and researching at the University of California–Irvine, Yuliya and her family moved to Bellingham, where she continues her teaching career in the department of political science at WWU.

Registration

This class is offered in-person

Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 10 a.m. - noon

Thursday April 2

$24 for members, $32 for non-members

Description

The human gastrointestinal (GI) tract is 30 feet long! As ingested food moves through the gut to its final destination, it is macerated, churned, and enzymatically attacked. As a result of these actions, nutrients, water, and ions are absorbed and waste products are expelled. Under normal conditions, it takes 24-72 hours for ingested food to be excreted.  

Unfortunately, one in four Americans suffer from “functional GI disorders” (also known as “disorders of the gut-brain interaction”) in which this transit time might be much faster or slower and often accompanied by pain. Functional GI disorders include conditions such as constipation, diarrhea, indigestion, reflux disease, and irritable bowel syndrome. They are not due to infection, structural abnormalities, or cancer. Although the specific causes of these conditions are not always clear, it is thought that they reflect disruption of the normal neural and hormonal control of the GI tract.  

The goal of this course it to provide the participants with a greater understanding of how the function of the GI system is normally regulated and how disruption of GI function can take place. In addition, it is anticipated that understanding how the gut should normally operate leads to a greater insight into how treatment interventions are used to mitigate the symptoms in functional GI disorders.

Instructor

Mary Chamberlin

Dr. Mary Chamberlin is a professor emerita at Ohio University, where she taught undergraduate, graduate, and medical-school physiology. She has conducted research on the physiology and metabolism of mammals, fish, marine invertebrates, and insects, and she has served as a program director at the National Science Foundation. This will be Professor Chamberlin's 12th course for ALL.

Registration

This class is offered in-person

Zoom, 1 - 3 p.m.

Friday April 3,
Friday April 10,
Friday April 17,
Friday April 24

$96 for members, $128 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for Death and Dying: Exploring Life's Final Transition

One thing's for certain: we all die. But time, place, and circumstances vary. Our final transition is influenced by what our own death means to us, where we breathe our last breath, and the legacy we leave once we are gone.  

End-of-life experiences vary depending on whether a death is expected or unexpected, stigmatized or socially supported, whether it occurs alone or among loved ones, or whether we have the say we want in our end-of-life care.  

This course begins with an exploration of death in various historic periods and cultures. Then we delve into the emotional and psychological aspects of death and grief, and how these are influenced by who is dying or has died and the role this person has played in others' lives.  

Next, we look into practical matters such as how to deal with our "stuff," how to advocate for ourselves or loved ones within the healthcare system, our options for funerals or end-or-life celebrations, and body disposition. Finally, we spend time on self-reflection and useful resources related to dying, grief, and mourning. 

Instructor

Laura Overstreet

Laura Overstreet, PhD, is a sociologist who taught courses in the areas of marriage and family at WWU until her retirement in 2024. She currently serves as associate professor-adjunct at the University of Maryland, teaching courses in gerontology and end-of-life issues. She is the author of Gaining Perspective, a lifespan psychology text. She has worked as a psychotherapist in in-patient and out-patient settings.

Note: Laura joins us via Zoom from Massachusetts.

Registration

This class is offered online

Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 1 - 3 p.m.

Wednesday April 8,
Wednesday April 15

$24 for members, $32 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for When Care is Needed

Americans are living longer but dying slower. For many, that means needing care at some time in their lives. This course reviews support services for debilitating conditions and the many care options available when one cannot remain independent.  

Information is provided on a variety of services available to help you or your loved ones remain safely at home; we also cover residential care options. The course addresses the cost of these services, who pays, and how to access each of them. We also review the role of care managers and client advocates and the importance of putting a support team in place.  

Effective pre-planning can prevent you from being forced into making critical decisions in a time of crisis.

Instructor

Debbie Gann

Debbie Gann, Certified Senior Advisor, has been working in health care since 1987 and has become a recognized advocate for the rights of seniors in our community. She is the owner of Home Attendant Care, past president of Elder Service Providers and the Alzheimer Society of Wash., as well as founding member of the WA Private Duty Association, and the founder of a "Touch of Grace."

Registration

This class is offered in-person

Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 10 a.m. - noon

Wednesday April 8,
Wednesday April 15,
Wednesday April 22,
Wednesday April 29

$96 for members, $128 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for Understand and Explore Color with Watercolors

This spring, come explore a fresh new way to look at the element of color!

Understand color through value, temperature, weight, and relationship to other colors in a composition.

Discover the do's and don'ts in creating compositions that are both realistic and abstract.

Select your own medium and design to completion, as we focus on creating a monochromatic composition, a complementary composition, and an analogous color set composition.

Materials fee: $3 for watercolor materials. Bring your own sketchbook, pencil and eraser.

Note: This course is limited to 24 students. 

Instructor

Trisha Dawn Coggins

Trisha Dawn Coggins is an art educator, designer, sculptress, and photographer with a BFA from West Chester University, Art Teaching Certification from the Moore College of Art and Design, and a master’s equivalency in fine arts from McDaniel College. She has designed, developed, and instructed classes throughout Whatcom County.

Registration

This class is offered in-person

Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 10 a.m. - noon

Thursday April 16,
Thursday April 23,
Thursday April 30

$72 for members, $96 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for Our Dark Matter Universe

In 100 years of research, we have learned that over 85% of our universe is taken up by dark matter, and nobody knows what it is! What is the evidence for this “magical substance,” and where does it hang out? In this course, we learn both its whereabouts and its method of operation.  

Early on, some researchers felt dark matter was made of strange atoms that did not do much of anything. Other researchers thought it was the making of an entirely different universe, something now we call the Multiverse. What we do know is that dark matter was born along with normal matter during the Big Bang, that primordial explosion that got things going.

When might we look for it? All the time. Especially when stars are twinkling and when galaxies are glowing, as in our Milky Way.  

Where might we find it hiding? Right now, our best bet is at the bottom of a deep mineshaft or passing through our bodies.

Can we identify it? Well, yes, if you are ok looking through a gigantic veil that keeps the entire universe in order.  

What’s really great about this class: along with dark matter, you learn some basic concepts about how the cosmos works, why it stays together instead of falling apart, how galaxies move around in the night sky, and how gravity really works. You see some very recent beautiful images of the cosmos, some of which show the large-scale structure of the universe called the Cosmic Web. And you learn some basic physics like why things rotate around in a circle and where you should expect to land when you jump off a merry-go-round.

Finally, when you look at the night sky and see all those beautiful twinkling stars, just remember the real action is happening in between those stars—in those dark areas that you thought were just empty space. Like all other aspects of the cosmos, research on dark matter and dark energy is proceeding rapidly.

Instructor

David Tucker

David Tucker is a retired science teacher and an astronomy hobbyist. He spent time at AT&T Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey studying laser physics. Presently, he is an ambassador presenter for LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) at Richland, Washington.

He is a recipient of the National Science Foundation's Presidential Award for Teaching Excellence, and he believes everyone can benefit from learning about the cosmos we live in.

Registration

This class is offered in-person

Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 10 a.m. - noon

Tuesday April 21,
Tuesday April 28,
Tuesday May 5

$72 for members, $96 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for Global Warming Effects on Climate Change

Increasing greenhouse gas concentrations cause global warming, which is the accumulation of energy. Accumulated energy increases the average global temperature, but it is not distributed evenly around the globe. Uneven distribution of accumulated energy causes climate change, which in turn causes change in weather patterns.

This course provides a background description of global warming and climate change and then delves into impacts such as extremes in temperature, rainfall, and storm patterns. Further resulting effects include reduced sea ice and glaciers, melting permafrost, wildfire risk, agricultural shifts, migration changes, ocean acidification, coral bleaching, biodiversity, sea level rise, and slowing of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Current.

The impacts are covered in general and with statistics where possible. A review of a technical report on the June 2021 PNW heat dome event is used as an example of an after-the-event evaluation.

Instructor

Charles Brown

Charles Brown, PE, is a retired chemical engineer. His teaching experience includes presenting seminars, lectures, and courses primarily about air pollution. His career included air pollution control and regulations (Radian, VECO), petroleum refining (BP, VECO), aluminum production (Kaiser), and nuclear power support systems (General Atomic). Degrees include BS, chemical engineering, Washington State University, 1973; MS, Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, 1982).

Registration

This class is offered in-person

Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 1 - 3 p.m.

Wednesday April 22,
Wednesday April 29

$48 for members, $64 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for Postmarked: Modern Takes on the Ancient Art of Letters

Remember the joy of finding a handwritten letter in your mailbox? Letters used to be our primary form of communication, but they’ve fallen out of favor in the technology age. In this hands-on, two-session class, we'll celebrate both the nostalgic charm and literary power of letter writing. Participants can bring their own rich experiences with correspondence—from wartime letters to family exchanges across distances—while we explore how contemporary writers are keeping this timeless form alive.

We'll examine how authors such as Emily Dickinson and Elizabeth Bishop often used letters to elucidate not only their everyday lives but also to grapple with the complexities of their work. We’ll then study more contemporary authors, such as Ta-Nehisi Coates and Julie Schumacher, who employ the letter form as a structural device for their stories. We’ll even turn to oral storytelling in podcasts such as This American Life and Letters Live! We'll analyze how writers use the letter form to create intimacy, reveal historical context as well as personal details, and provide a container for difficult subjects.

In a supportive, encouraging environment, participants then engage in short, guided writing exercises designed to draft personal stories in letter form. These could be real letters one would send to a particular recipient, or they might be autobiographical essays using the letter form as a literary device. No prior experience with epistolary (or any!) writing required—just curiosity about the enduring appeal of putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) in service of connection.

Note: Please bring a laptop or notebook for composing during the second session.

Instructor

Brenda Miller

Brenda Miller is the author of six essay collections, and her work has received seven Pushcart prizes. She co-authored the textbook Tell it Slant: Creating, Refining, and Publishing Creative Nonfiction, and The Pen and the Bell: Mindful Writing in a Busy World. She is a professor emerita of English at Western Washington University, where she taught creative writing for 25 years. Her website is: www.brendamillerwriter.com

"Brenda Miller is a luminary in the field of creative nonfiction, a leader in the exploration of new forms. She is also an experienced and gifted teacher, presenter, and mentor. She is deeply knowledgeable, skilled, intuitive, generous, and kind. Her presentations are always lively and engaging—and leave me with a renewed sense of energy and possibility." 

—Tarn Wilson, author of In Praise of Inadequate Gifts

Registration

This class is offered in-person

Zoom, 10 a.m. - noon

Friday May 1

$24 for members, $32 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for Seattle's Historic Olmsted Park & Boulevard System: From Frontier to the 21st Century

Due to the tremendous popularity of ALL's Seattle Olmsted Park course and excursion last year, we expand our zoom discussion to cover additional Olmsted-designed parks in Seattle.

Seattle’s historic park and boulevard system is one of the most complete Olmsted-designed park systems in the country. In 1903, thanks to the Klondike Gold Rush’s influx of money and people, Seattle hired the Olmsted firm of landscape architects of Brookline, Massachusetts, to design its park and boulevard system. This firm was the leading urban design firm in the country at the time. John Charles Olmsted, nephew and stepson of Frederick Law Olmsted, created a legacy for Seattle from 1903 until the firm’s last project, the Washington Park Arboretum, in 1938. This legacy is still intact today.

This talk covers the history of Seattle from 1897 to the present, through the lens of its parks and boulevards. We discuss the design principles of the Olmsted firm, and their philosophy that open space should be for all people, not just the wealthy. We also virtually visit historic parks in West Seattle such as Sunset Hill Park, Discovery Park, Schmitz Preserve Park, Hiawatha Playfield, Dell Ridge Playfield, and Longfellow Creek open space, as well as the Dunn Gardens. This is the only Olmsted-designed private garden in the PNW that is open to the public.

These are Seattle’s most historic and beautiful landscapes.

Instructor

Sue Nicol

Sue Nicol, retired horticulturist and consulting arborist, worked 18 years for the Seattle Parks Department, 17 as head horticulturist for the Woodland Park Zoo. She has been a board member of the "Friends of Seattle’s Olmsted Parks" since 2004, leading walking tours of Seattle’s Olmsted parks.

Note: Sue joins us via Zoom from Seattle.

Registration

This class is offered online

Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 1 - 3 p.m.

Wednesday May 6,
Wednesday May 13,
Wednesday May 20

$72 for members, $96 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for Exploring Sikhism and Punjabi Culture: Faith, History, and Community

This three-part series, offered in collaboration with the Chardi Kala Project, provides an immersive introduction to Sikh religion, Punjabi culture, and the lived experiences of the Sikh community here in Bellingham and beyond.

The first session explores the foundational beliefs, values, and practices of Sikhism—from its origins in 15th-century Punjab to its global presence today. Students gain insight into Sikh scripture, spiritual philosophy, and the significance of equality, service, and community. We also talk about the history of Sikhs in Washington State, including the 1907 eviction of Sikhs from Bellingham and the Arch of Healing and Reconciliation in downtown Bellingham.

The second session highlights the vibrant Punjabi culture, covering major festivals like Vaisakhi and Lohri, including music, food, language, and family traditions. This session also traces key historical and socio-political events that shaped the identity of Punjabis and Sikhs both in India and in diaspora communities, including those in Whatcom County.

The third session offers a unique opportunity to visit a local Gurudwara (Sikh temple). Participants experience the peaceful environment of Sikh worship, observe religious practices firsthand, and share in Langar, a free community meal symbolizing equality and compassion. The tour concludes with open discussion and Q&A with community members.

This course encourages intercultural understanding, dialogue, and meaningful connections with a resilient and generous faith community.

Sessions 1 and 2 on May 6 and 13 at 1 p.m., Bellingham Cruise Terminal; Session 3, field trip, May 20, departs BCT at 12:30 and returns by 4 p.m.

Instructor

Harneet Kaur Matharu and Taranjot (TJ) Brar

Harneet Kaur Matharu, Program Director – Chardi Kala Project

Harneet is a cultural education leader who connects the Punjabi Sikh community with the public. Using her 12 years of experience in project management and business analysis, she focuses on planning, building relationships, and cross-cultural communication. She is passionate about equity and inclusion, amplifying underrepresented voices and fostering understanding between communities.

Taranjot (TJ) Brar, Executive Director – Chardi Kala Project

A native of Punjab, TJ Brar co-directs the Chardi Kala Project. He sits on the boards of the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center and the Whatcom Racial Equity Commission, and previously served on the City of Bellingham’s Immigration Advisory Board. Brar is dedicated to building inclusive communities by speaking on Sikh history and identity to combat bullying, all while upholding the Sikh principle of Chardi Kala—eternal optimism.

For more about the Chardi Kala Project, visit: https://thechardikalaproject.carrd.co

Registration

This class is offered in-person

Zoom, 10 a.m. - noon

Friday May 8,
Friday May 15

$48 for members, $64 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for Architectural Oddities: Futuristic and Contemporary Architecture

As the Space Race of the 1960s held the attention of the American public, complementary forms of design ranging from cars to cartoons emerged. Architectural forms that included spaceship-shaped structures, bubble houses, and geodesic domes found their way into the built environment.  

This influence continues today in cutting-edge designs and futuristic aesthetics found in contemporary avant-garde architecture, where architects use innovative forms and materials to push the boundaries of design.

Instructor

Eleanor Schrader

Eleanor Schrader holds an MBA from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

She is an award-winning educator, lecturer and author. Eleanor lectures and leads tours worldwide on art and architectural history. She has been named a distinguished instructor at UCLA Extension, where she teaches history of architecture, interior design, furniture and decorative arts. A professor emeritus of art and architectural history at Santa Monica College, Eleanor has done graduate work in fine and decorative arts at Sotheby's Institute in London and New York. She has served as a design review commissioner for the City of Beverly Hills and currently serves on the board of directors of the John Lautner Foundation.

Once again we welcome Eleanor Schrader, our architectural historian, as she joins us via Zoom from southern California.

Registration

This class is offered online

Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 1 - 3 p.m.

Tuesday May 12,
Thursday May 14

$48 for members, $64 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for How Insects and Diseases Shape the Forests Around Us

Session 1: How globalization drives biological invasions of forest insects and diseases around the world.

During the last 150 years, people have inadvertently transferred forest insects to live plants and infested wood and wood products. There are currently about 500 non-native insect and tree pathogen species established in the United States. Most of these species are rare, and as such they have little or no known effects, but a few have had devastating impacts, eliminating the majority of their host trees from forests.

Increasingly, governments around the world are taking measures to manage the biological invasion problem. These efforts include regulation of import practices, surveillance and eradication of new populations, and barrier zones to limit the spread of invading species. In this course, we touch on a few non-native insects and diseases that are problems in the Pacific Northwest region.

Session 2: How climate change affects relationships between insects and forests.

Insects and disease play important natural roles in forest succession and other changes, and disturbance plays such a role in all forest ecosystems. With changing climates, many of the close relationships between forests and insects are being altered, which has led to unprecedented insect outbreaks that have altered forests worldwide. Other human activity, such as fire suppression, has often altered forests inadvertently, making them more susceptible to pest damage. Again, examples from the Pacific Northwest region are provided. While forest management offers possibilities for mitigating climate change, insect and disease outbreaks can affect these efforts and limit their effectiveness.

Instructor

Andrew "Sandy" Liebhold

Andrew "Sandy" Liebhold is chief scientist at the Forest Invasion Synthesis Centre at the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, Czech Republic, and an emeritus scientist with the U.S. Forest Service. He currently spends part of his time in Prague and part of his time working from his home in Bellingham. From 1988 to 2024, he was a research entomologist with the U.S. Forest Service Northern Research Station, Morgantown, W. Va. Liebhold received his PhD in Entomology in 1984 from the University of California, Berkeley. He then worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Massachusetts before joining the Forest Service.

His research focuses on the ecology and management of biological invasions and the spatial dynamics of insect outbreaks. He has authored over 300 peer-reviewed scientific publications and is a fellow of the American Society of Advancement of Science and a fellow of the Entomological Society of America.

Registration

This class is offered in-person

Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 10 a.m. - noon

Tuesday May 12

$24 for members, $32 for non-members

Description

Watch the Preview Video for Western Washington's Hummingbirds

Why do we have only one hummingbird species that overwinters in the Pacific Northwest? Anna’s hummingbird is beloved locally, but how did it come to spend its winters here over the past 75 years? Greg Green recently visited the cloud forests of Ecuador to observe and photograph a portion of the 132 hummingbird species that live there, and he has spent a decade researching why we have come to enjoy Anna’s hummingbirds here year-round.

This class provides an overview of the unique ecology of this extraordinary group of birds, contrasting the Pacific Northwest with Ecuador. It examines the northern march of this particular species in the context of migration patterns of other hummingbird species, and it shares gorgeous images of hummingbirds in both regions.

Instructor

Greg Green

Greg Green is a noted career wildlife biologist and environmental sciences instructor at WWU, where he teaches ecology, wildlife research techniques, and natural history. Greg holds a BS degree in biology from Eastern Oregon University and an MS in wildlife ecology from Oregon State University.

Greg received the Leadership in Conservation Award from the Washington Chapter of The Wildlife Society in May 2023. The award recognized his "career-long leadership in conservation and dedication to wildlife management in Washington State and beyond."

He is also a nature photographer and writer, recently publishing the book Wild Lives with collaborator Art Wolfe, renowned American photographer and conservationist. Wild Lives highlights the state of the world's wildlife through photography and essays.

Registration

This class is offered in-person